


All Rage is Joy

by doellison



Category: Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Ghost Rider (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Power Cosmic - Fandom, Silver Surfer - Fandom
Genre: Action, Dark, Dark Fantasy, Ghost Rider - Freeform, Hell, Horror, Marvel - Freeform, Marvel Comics - Freeform, Marvel Universe, Science Fiction, Silver Surfer - Freeform, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 9,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doellison/pseuds/doellison
Summary: A sad and lonely man is used to tempt Ghost Rider into burning the entire world.  Can Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic save it?
Kudos: 2
Collections: Fanfiction Writers United Science Fiction Collection, Ghost Rider Silver Surfer and Box





	1. Introducing Silver Surfer

_**  
**_

Coasting through the cold loneliness of space, the Silver Surfer notices each distant star and planet, and thinks about how he used to play a role in destroying them. He also reminds himself that even though the universe seems infinite, it is only one place, and there are many more beyond and within it. These other realms, or parallel dimensions, supersede place and simply exist. Internally confirming to himself the choice to be a savior to right past wrongs, he thinks about these varying realities. And how they are very much real, but not always tangible.

The Silver Surfer continues to ponder how these realms are very much like the unspoken thoughts, dreams, memories, and ideas the sentient species of our universe have. Like anything cerebral, they can grow, consume, dwindle, die, be brilliant, evil, dormant, or even maddeningly ferocious. One of these dimensions, inexorably forever tied to Earth, is Hell. 

A little startled about where his thoughts headed, he lets his Power Cosmic takeover and guide his gleaming surfboard’s flight. Quickly reaching a pace beyond light speed, the once destructive Herald of Galactus is once again ready to serve the present and future of all that is out of forgiveness for his destructive past. 


	2. Ghost Rider in Hell

_**  
**_

After looking around the infinite scorched wasteland of Hell, he finally decides 'this spot is as good as any' to rest his body of bones upon. He hardly notices the screams of agony coming from the burning souls around him as he attempts to relax. The struggle of the cursed souls, scattered everywhere, to escape the pain of burning alive, creates a scene of pandemonium in which the Ghost Rider has grown accustomed. Calmly he looks from one soul to the next, and each one is a writhing, squirming, screaming, red translucent human shaped monster. Perpetually witnessing them suffer, he is always glad he does not feel their pain, but knows he is being tortured in a way too.

The flaming skeleton that is Ghost Rider, subconsciously stands, and begins to recount why he has no soul for the fires of hell to burn, while also expressing visible thanks for not having to burn in pain eternally.

“I chose this soulless existence, and I was probably going to Hell anyways,” Ghost Rider says out loud to himself. “It was my choice, to trade my soul, and become Hell’s Spirit of Vengeance.”

Deducing the consequences of that decision, he realizes his only purpose has been to live off the fuel of humanity’s desire to act on resentment, hate, jealousy, and many other similar emotions. It is the same conclusion as always, his only purpose is for vengeance, and acting upon it gives him his only excruciating pleasure; and it torments him.

Continuing to plod his body of burning bones through the haze of hell, in the midst of all the pain and suffering, he sees the Devil. Meeting her seductive gaze, he instantly looks away. But wherever his view settles, she is there. The fiery embodiment of all sins, staring into him, wherever he turns, doing what she intends, stoking his eternal hunger.

And it always worked. Her evil stare made him mad for vengeance, and she kept her presence until his hunger matched the pain of Hell's burning sinners. With his lust for vengeance becoming uncontrollable, Ghost Rider screams. The hysterical roar shoots blinding light from where his eyes and mouth used to be. His head and neck arch back from the violent energy. Twisting and turning, his scream of desperate need continues for many seconds. The moment his whaling ceases, he rampages towards Earth in pursuit of murderous, vengeful relief. But all the while, hiding unseen, a tall, dark, mysterious demon with a long tail and big protruding red eyes has been observing the Ghost Rider, and continues to as he rides away.


	3. Blackheart's Curse

It's a picturesque spring afternoon. The type of day where the clear blue sky, fluffy clouds, and vibrant foliage make everything a little bit better. Yet for Box, who just arrived at his blue-collar apartment complex, a little bit doesn't go very far; at all.

“What a fucking day,” Box screams to himself!

He wants to slam his used car’s door shut, but withholds the temptation and just closes it. Not looking at, or for, anything, he methodically treads towards his apartment. Eventually he arrives at another object that could be an outlet for pent up frustration, his door, and Box just shakes his head and opens it. He steps inside his never immaculate, yet always clean home, and immediately starts rambling about feelings he wishes on no one, but is always drowning in.

“How can this be real. I am useless, forgotten, and sad and oh… so…. fucking….. lonely. What can I do!? Nothing, there is nothing. I talk to absolutely no one, while expending all my God damn energy bottling up all my frustration. Uhhh! My life is a complete disaster. I hate it!”

Box does feel more than anger, he feels rage. Rage birthed by a never ending list in his mind that unwinds constantly in no coherent order. This unraveling list is his story, a life of heartbreak and every form of victimhood imaginable.

Internally attempting to bottle-up his rage, trying to cope, he sits down and turns on the evening news. Peering at his old television as though he was looking for life’s answers inside of it, he watches and listens to Local 6’s weatherman Jim Guy’s forecast. As he watches, Box notices the weatherman’s iris and pupil are certainly and strangely black. But as with most things, he disregarded the peculiarity and subliminally listened to the report trying to distract himself from his ever compounding frustrations.

“It will be getting extremely hot and dark very soon,” Box heard the weatherman say. A little surprised by the odd statement, he locked eyes with the now entirely black-eyed Jim Guy. Who with a satisfied grin accompanying his evil black eyes continues, “The darkness arriving now is yours. You have no light in your heart, and neither will your world anymore. No longer is your co-workers’ gossip behind your back just a thought that triggers an emotion. Nor is your boss’s intentional undermining of any career advancement just produce anger and frustration. All your dark emotions are part of your real world existence now. Ever present for you to see, just as you have always felt them. So when you look out the window, as you will do soon, you won’t just see dark; you’ll see all your pain, including the life-draining heartbreak of missing the only girl you ever loved.”

Box’s eyes were already pointed out the window before this new demonic Jim Guy was finished speaking, and outside all he saw was sadness and depression. His eyes searched for a light, but there was nothing but blackness, without a single star in the sky. It was so dark, so sad, that the black sky seemed more of a tangible thing than a temporary state.

“It looks cold doesn’t it Box,” said the now intensely pulsing red-pupiled weatherman?

Aware that he had been directly addressed by the television, yet not considering its weirdness he continued to listen. The weatherman’s voice of evil continued.

“As the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. Because this is the forecast for real darkness. And real darkness is always accompanied by pain. Pain in the form of heat; from the flames of hell. It will be an impossible to extinguish burning, just as inescapable as your infinite frustration. This horrendous weather is all yours. It is from your mind that is filled with hate, jealousy, spite, and an insatiable desire for revenge on those you blame for wasting your life.”

Box could not break free from the gaze of the demon’s red eyes.

“This forecast of burning darkness is indefinite. You must purge yourself of your hate for everything and everyone. You must get vengeance. We both know what makes your blood boil with pure anger. Seek that soul to, maybe, begin to cleanse yourself of the bountiful evil in your mind.”

His view still felt telekinetically locked to the red eyes of the towering bruised body of the demon Blackheart, who now stood over him as he writhed in fear and burning pain from the rapidly rising heat. In the TV’s blank dark glare, Blackheart began kneeling down towards him, and as he did, his figure steadily faded. The closer he got to Box, the less appeared before him. Until barely being a wisp in the air, the demon touched his heart and disappeared.

Still lying in excruciating heat and complete darkness, Box begins to muster the little strength he can.


	4. Ghost Rider finds Box

Panting and drenched in sweat, Box’s arms flailed looking for anything that they could get a hold of. On their way down, one of his arms landed with a thud onto his glass coffee table. Using that arm, he struggled and got his knees underneath him. Then he finally plopped his other hand onto the table. Still breathing heavily, he pushed himself up and with great effort forced himself to his feet, wheezing the entire time. As ruthless as the stinging heat was, Box came to the realization he had no choice but to cope with it. Then with one laborious step he made it to his couch, and just leaned against it and stood there; completely spent looking out to a world of darkness. The only things he could think about other than burning alive, was wondering if he was going to die, and how he could make this hell forecast upon him end? Box figured whatever the cure was, it wasn’t inside his small apartment.

So slowly and deliberately he dragged himself outside to find some form of salvation. His first breath of the outside air as he stumbled forward onto a railing was hot and dry, yet refreshing enough that it did not make things worse. Lacking any strength but motivated by the fear of death, Box, draped over the balcony, tried to collect himself the best he could. As he tried, he could tell there were a few people scattered around, but could only see an outline of their bodies in the complete darkness. His brain was manic with despair, pain, and madness, but Box saw no one else struggling.

Box made his way towards the stairs down to the parking lot, twitching involuntarily back and forth between crawling to hunched over walking. The few people who saw him were shockingly startled as they witnessed this seemed-to-be madman struggle. A neighbor from the end of the terrace, who was a stranger to Box, awkwardly jogged down the aisle to help; while others looking up from the parking lot were hectically dialing 911. Box, no longer noticing or caring about anything going on around him, finally reached, and painfully tumbled down the concrete stairs; desperately trying to find a way to stop the torture.

***

Reaching the exit of Hell, a long trail of flame follows Ghost Rider as he reaches the surface of Earth. No one can see him, or the flames of Hell that accompany him. Because as a spirit, he is always with us, but not always here. As the Ghost Rider rides, he begins to feel something dark and very, very hot. To him, though, it is not physical darkness and heat like for Box; he is feeling the emotions of anger, pain, and jealousy that call for vengeance. And he has never felt them this potent. Ghost Rider screams with optimism, wondering if this could be the vengeance that quenches his eternal thirst? With his hollow mouth agape in hunger, and his empty eyes focused on something we can not see, he speeds ahead following the trail of Box's emotions.


	5. Ghost Rider Stares Into Box

Some distance away, back at Box's apartment, a young girl’s finger was inching towards the 1 on her smartphone in response to seeing the badly injured Box try to rise from his fall. Then suddenly something happened.

His neighbors, still looking from upstairs, stopped breathing and stared. The young girl didn’t know, nor was she wondering, if she was still holding her phone or had dropped it. What they were seeing was frightfully amazing.

A towering rope of flame had exploded out of the pavement. Accompanied by what sounded like a thousand roaring motorcycles rolled into one. At the end of the flames was a skeleton drenched in fire, sitting on a bike, dressed in black.

Everyone looking screamed, wondering if what they were seeing was real. And as each person's gaze met the burning skeleton’s hollowed out eyes, blinding, cleansing, white light erupted out of his skull, setting each person’s mind blank, and at ease.

Ghost Rider reached his skeletal hand down towards Box, while calling his name. His fingers wrapped around the suffering man’s sweat soaked neck, and with one arm he lifted the bloodied, exhausted, exasperated body of Box.

With everyone in sight now blind to their occurrence, and completely oblivious of the prior events, Ghost Rider chained the body of the tortured man to the back of his bike. He then quickly revved his engine, and peeled out of the complex. Once riding, he immediately began a conversation with the possessed soul, but Box failed to respond.

After a short while of traveling at a frightening speed, the flaming spirit fishtailed to a stop. Ghost Rider yelled a torrent of vulgarities at Box, enraged by his continued muteness. One would think that it is impossible for a skull to express anger, but the look on the spirit’s face of fire proved otherwise.

“I need to know why you are suffering,” Ghost Rider pleaded to Box? Along with saying that, he yanks the disheveled, cursed man off his bike with an honest desire to kill him. But he can’t, as the aura of anger, sadness, and jealousy that surrounds Box are just too tempting to relinquish.

Ghost Rider staring down at Box laying on the pavement, thinks of the concept of pity, because he can not feel it. And as he stares at Box, he begins to see.

What Ghost Rider sees as his stare begins to penetrate, is Box’s infinitely tortured soul. He gazes upon a wonderfully horrible life entirely defined by painful memories. These images make his flames grow with excitement, and with intense laser focus he strives to drill even deeper into Box’s painful past. But for some reason, he can see no further.


	6. Mike's Hardware Store

“What are you hiding,” the skeleton's deep and dry voice screams?

He shakes Box, who is now incapacitated, with increasing frustration as he continues to scream the same question at him repeatedly. As the Ghost Rider continues to yell, he gets angrier, more desperate, and his flames continue to rage. Ghost Rider’s craving for Box's deepest, most vengeful, memories, triggers him to try to force them out.

So with no consideration for Box’s condition, Ghost Rider grabs Blackheart’s cursed vessel, and holds him out towards the setting sun. He stares into him and screams with every decibel carried by fire. The piercing stare and scream only succeed in burning away Box’s shirt, and charring his chest.

With no relief, the angry Spirit of Vengeance, begins to recollect on his prior gaze into Box’s soul. Mentally digesting the life of frustration he had consumed, redirected his evil intentions away from Box. Still firmly grasping the cursed man, Ghost Rider begins to turn his flaming skull in search of something from Box’s memories requiring vengeance, and sadistically notices everything looks appetizing.

Ghost Rider thoughtlessly drops the dying Box back onto the dirty and fractured sidewalk. The first thing he settles his vision upon is Mike’s Hardware across the road. As he stares, dark flames materialize in the form Box’s painful memories.

He watches a hunched over young Box covered in fire making his way out of the store. The dark flames of the past expel the heat of jealousy and anger. The flaming memories of people inside laugh and shake their heads as they watch the pitiful Box. “You don’t fit what we are looking for,” the Ghost Rider hears the store owner say to Box on an infinite loop as he continues to watch young, sad Box burn. All teenage Box wanted was a job that was somewhat cool and masculine, yet for the umpteenth time was turned away .

Absolutely consumed by Box’s need for vengeance, Ghost Rider lunges for an old rusty yellow fire hydrant at his feet, grabs it, and tears it from the ground. The burning skeleton acts with such ferocity that the hydrant had already flown out of his hands before a pillar of water erupted from the ground. That hydrant, an object in which Box once cried and cursed on as a kid, lit into flames as it crossed the well-worn street like a missile.

In a blink of an eye, it exploded into a car parked in front of the hardware store, spinning the vehicle onto the sidewalk. The hydrant continued through Mike’s Hardware’s front window and blasted out the back insulated brick wall. The demolished car’s alarm bellowed a loud repeating horn, a few bodies laid about the carnage, all were wounded, a couple viciously, and everyone was in shock.

Everything the old fire hydrant touched was burning and the flames were spreading. The destruction, a real act of vengeance that usually brings satisfaction, brought none to the still angry skeletal Spirit.


	7. Help Arrives as the Flames Spread

Ghost Rider continued to stand on the edge of the sidewalk as howling sirens approached. Anger was filling the void in his non-existent heart, where relief should have arisen. He hissed flame still feening vengeance as the motorcade drew closer.

The flames from the fire hydrant now encompassed the entire block on the south side of the street. In the fire, countless depressing memories from Box’s past burned. Each visage from Box’s memory that Ghost Rider saw burning in the flames, made the Spirit of Vengeance even more furious. And he still just stood there as his frustration mounted. But as the frustration grew, the flashing lights got closer, and his focus to find relief hardened. Every second that he pondered how to satisfy his feverish need for vengeance, the flames around him and Box spread.

Looking ahead at the emergency lights now almost right in front of him, Ghost Rider unraveled his chain with the sweltering links hitting the ground. The long rope of metal that he held onto firmly, was not brandished as a weapon, but as a tool. He was starving, similar to the way Box was suffering, he had to continue down this path, and the oncoming motorcade was on it.

As the emergency vehicles got closer, the flaming skeletal spirit began to spin his chain. Within a few flicks of his wrist, the burning metal was spinning faster than physics should allow. Then as easily as he spun his chain, he let it go. 

The smoldering steel screamed towards the incoming First Responders with an impossible amount of momentum. The burning metal first collided with the edge of the driver’s side front windshield of a police car. It simultaneously melted and smashed through the top of the car and the driving officer's startled face, with both sent flying. The chain continued to cut through the entire motorcade sending machine and body parts flying everywhere. Severed vehicles and dismembered almost-dead bodies careened and tumbled all over the street. So with another swing in the opposite direction, his chain sent all the wreckage and bodies off the road and into the buildings engulfed in inextinguishable flames.

Still lying on the sidewalk, in what was complete hellish darkness, Box with his eyes just barely open could see the flame. It was the only thing he could see in his complete darkness. He did not know this, but he saw it because it was not normal fire from Earth. Box was, through strained and tired eyes, seeing the flames of Hell that rage and burn forever; like the inferno that encompasses Ghost Rider’s bones. Which were glowing light down onto Box as the skeleton turned back to him. The spirit looked at him with discern, and he knew he was not looking at a normal man.

He did not know that, since Blackheart’s forecast, Box had been cursed into being the Spirit of Vengeance’s infinitely needed drug of choice. Any vengeance sought out on behalf of Box’s cursed memories, would serve the purpose of creating Hell on Earth. And the entire southern half of the city now looked as such.


	8. The Power Cosmic Knows

Silver Surfer shoots through space, still content in his loneliness, when something changes. He rapidly begins to feel, seemingly against his will, consumed by the cold emptiness of the universe instead of its beauty. Slowing down, with his mind going down a new dark path, he reassesses his place and outlook.

“What is this cold? Is it the absence of heat, the absence of energy, the lack of things moving, or is this cold a feeling of things missing? The feeling of being alone? I have never felt cold before, but now I know it very well," Silver Surfer thought to himself.

When Norrin initially set off, there was no route in mind, and right now, he didn't know where he was. But like his present thought process, his new surroundings were exceedingly dim. Standing and observing with great effort to use rational over emotion, he mentally catalogued the details of his present location. From planet to planet, near and far, all he saw was a plethora of dark and lifeless rocks; mass that didn’t matter. This dreary section of the universe was also practically starless. The only ones in view seemed to be more balls of fire than celestial bodies. Feeling downtrodden, frustrated, and impatient all he wanted to do was leave.

But his surfboard did not move. No direction he nudged, nor destination he thought of, triggered his board into flight. 

Silver Surfer then began to look inward, and cursed himself because he was beginning to feel weak. Was his Power Cosmic, the source of all his godly abilities, betraying him the Silver Surfer thought? Becoming overwhelmed with exhaustion, a feeling he hardly ever experienced, Silver Surfer was reluctantly forced to kneel down upon his board.

He was now enfeebled and drowning in negative thoughts. But his Power Cosmic is a force separate from space and time, energy or physical, reality or abstract, is really nothing and everything at the same time, and always stays independently positive and alert as a great balancing force of existence. Its omniscient-non-self guided Silver Surfer to where he is now, and it could not give him the ability to leave until Norrin realized what was at play.

Out of nowhere, Silver Surfer began to feel his power return, but it was only for an instant. The invigoration quickly turned into sharp hot pain as the Power Cosmic urgently manifested itself that way to send him the message he needed to understand fast. Silver Surfer tried to control his Power Cosmic as he most always does, but nothing but agony stayed present. 

Dark dead rocks, balls of fire, perceived emptiness, along with his feelings of exhaustion, frustration, and the abrupt hot pain, along with knowing he had never felt this way before, made Silver Surfer quickly deduce it was not him. He was reacting to and sensing the growth of evil somewhere that was distorting the balance of all things. Realizing this, Silver Surfer did not need to think where the evil was coming from, he inherently knew it was Hell. Then immediately with divine purpose, Silver Surfer began channeling his power thinking of Hell, and warped off in that direction.


	9. Ghost Rider Learns of Box's Boss

Ghost Rider’s bike was roaring, the city was burning, and people were screaming. But Ghostrider’s mind was not on the hellish landscape surrounding him, it was on his engrossing desire for relief. On his bike, whipping his chain to destroy things he recalled from Box’s memories as he rode, he continued to dig through his mind to find something meaningful in Box's painful past. One man appeared over and over again, and it was his boss, the altogether completely average, Hybris Hera.

***

“Box pass me along some notes on your ideas concerning our Niflheim Corporation case,” Hybris would say to Box, or something similar, about most jobs that rolled through the office. Box is an entry-level Six Sigma analyst. With entry-level being the position of staying informed on accounts so he could assist if anything happened to someone assigned a job. Specifically, Box knew he was a backup in case there were further shortages after any situation with staffing was already resolved.

Hybris was perfectly aware of Box’s unimportance, but that was not his concern. Hybris’s only concern was himself. So if something easy seemed to work and had no consequences, he had no problem abusing it. And that ‘it,’ was Box.

Box had not been assigned a case his entire time at ICBM. Everyone else there was either too busy to notice or didn’t care, and Box did not complain. But more accurately, Box thought he couldn’t complain. 

Every risk analysis of X-company, or short-term efficiency benchmark report of Y-company that Hybris asked of Box, his boss would always make his own, and Box would not take issue because of the risk of being fired, and needing the money. As a result, with considerable effort, Box had to force himself to emotionally bury every single one of the countless times he was exploited by Hybris.

“Your measurement of the change in output of Eruption Universal after they institute our strategy, closely aligns with what I worked out,” Hybris once said to Box in the nice cynical fashion of all his lies. And those blood-churning lies were as good as it got for Box at ICBM. With his head down in shame everyday, Box had to also listen to Mr. Hera thank him, which was the equivalent of being thanked for having to sacrifice his career on behalf of someone he despised.

If Box’s portfolio of activities and accomplishments at work were his soul, he was soulless.

“Hybris, through malicious means, possesses Box’s soul,” Ghost Rider thought to himself as he thought about Hybris. The skeletal spirit continued to think, “Hybris is hardly himself, because everything he has achieved, which has been keeping his managerial position, has been done through stealing Box’s work.”

Slowing down his bike and getting closer to a verdict, Ghost Rider knew very well that Box justifiably loathed Hybris. The Spirit of Vengeance’s gaze had seen that Box could not trust his own actions, if he allowed his feelings to manifest towards the person responsible for ruining one of the two most important parts of life.


	10. Silver Surfer Arrives

The world was raging in flames behind him, as Ghost Rider went to knock on the rustic walnut front door of Hybris Hera’s home.

Hybris was standing and staring out the back of his house, looking at an ocean of fire, paralyzed with fear, when he then heard a thunderous knock at his front door. Startled out of his fire-induced hypnosis, Mr. Hera turned toward the booming knock and slowly approached his front door.

Then another deafening battering ram of a knock shook the house. From the distance he now stood from the door, Hybris could see a bulge warping the top half of it with a decent-sized crack right down the middle. He was surprised and confused but continued to go answer it.

“It has to be someone about the fire,” Hybris whispered to himself. He was Just about to reach out for his doorknob, when he stopped and thought aloud, “The doorknob must be super hot, I better — .” Then top half of his walnut door abruptly exploded in his face, shooting splinters of wooden shrapnel everywhere. Hybris froze. Scared and shaking, his fright was not just because of the violent impact, and exploded door, it came from who was staring back at him from the other side.

Hybris was still standing there, incapacitated, as a flaming skeleton in black, kicked in the rest of his door and reached out for him.

Ghost Rider said Box's managers name with inquisitive seriousness as he reached out to grasped Hybris's arms. Staring through the unethical manager, he told him, “The eyes are windows into the soul, and through yours, I see a soul that has been stolen.”

Hybris’s response was delirious screams of pain, from his flesh melting off his arms, and fear, from looking at Ghost Rider’s flaming skull.

“Everything you have is a result of your career standing,” the Spirit of Vengeance said to Hybris. “While your employee Box’s role at work, reflects what he has. His existence is sad and frustrating, just like his career. But Box’s life is not of his doing. His misery is of your doing, Hybris! Your theft and lies stole his career, and ruined his life! You have accomplished nothing but stealing Box’s soul,” Ghost Rider ferociously screamed!

Immediately after he said ‘soul,’ Ghost Rider opened his jaw and aligned his eye sockets with Hybris’s. Then he violently started inhaling directly from Hybris. Dark matter streamed from the average guy directly up into the agape mouth and eyes of the fiery skull. Hybris desperately wreathed, physically displaying how excruciating the pain was. Every nerve ignited as his insides were dematerialized and consumed. Hybris’s eyeballs melted and spilled into the back of his skull, as his skin vaporized into a cloud of dust, all of which was inhaled by Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider began to loosen his grip, and the only thing left of Hybris, his bones, were already disconnecting and falling to the floor. Within a couple seconds, Ghost Rider was standing there on a pile that used to be Hybris; unrelieved.

Hybris’s house was now well engrossed hellfire. Ghost Rider stood there heaving his own flames of frustration before heading back to Box. But the decision to go back to Box was not really his, it was the allure of the curse subconsciously calling to him.

Now very angry, Ghost Rider knew, and he didn’t know how, that there was something far more important to life than work. He automatically looked at Box to find the answer to what it was. So there he stood, in the midst of what seemed to be Hell on Earth, looking down at the living carcass of Box, discovering that love was the answer.

Silver Surfer could see the evil from space just as he could feel it. From just outside the Earth’s troposphere, he looked down and saw North America burning and the fires spreading. With the Power Cosmic's help, he sensed where the heart of this evil dilemma was located, and dove towards it.

That location was where Ghost Rider’s hand now rested. Which was the gravestone of a man named Chester, the person responsible for Box’s greatest heartbreak. Ghost Rider needed to find Chester, and Silver Surfer needed to get to Box.


	11. The Power Cosmic is Released

Ghost Rider looked right at Chester’s gravestone upon finding it. As he stared, he leaned and phased into the plaque. Ghost Rider soon thereafter disappeared into it, beginning a furious travel back to Hell to find Chester, who had tarnished Box’s only love.

Silver Surfer just arrived at the cemetery, as Ghost Rider descended back to Hell, knew about Chester too. But his concerns were with Box. Silver Surfers sparkling chrome hands calmly searched for a pulse on the now scrawny, weathered, and sweat-drenched body of the long suffering Box.

“Box I am sorry, but there is no way for me to go to Hell and pursue the Spirit of Vengeance” Surfer leaned over and regretfully said to Box. “But I will do what I can to save everything else,” he firmly continued oblivious Box.

Silver Surfer knelt down next to Box, and started to gather his strength.

On his knees, tightly gripping his hands, and with his body shaking in exertion, he began to release his power. A silverish blue liquid-like-cloud poured out of Silver Surfer’s body in every direction. His expulsion of Power Cosmic was sent to strangle the towering flames of Hell now ravaging the globe. Every ounce of the strength he had went into releasing his Power Cosmic towards this goal.

But his Power Cosmic, power that could save or destroy a planet, still could not stop the evil flames of Box’s curse from growing. But Surfer still did not stop forcing out his power, because quitting on the innocents who he sought forgiveness from was not an option. The light misty cloud of Power Cosmic seeping out of Silver Surfer to harness the raging flames, also found its way into Box; whose curse was the root of all this.

Ghost Rider was in Hell on his own inherent timer to find his target. A timer that had long since expired, as he tore through heaps of burning, screaming souls with his hunger directing him towards Chester.

Not in view, but watching, Blackheart was devilishly excited at the sight of Ghost Rider rampaging through Hell. His curse seemed destined to come to fruition, as he knew that the Ghost Rider was going to bring Chester’s demon out of Hell and back to Earth. This would create an infinite loop of anger, hate, and frustration, because the visible pain and suffering of Chester’s hell-ridden soul would perpetually remind Box’s soul of the sin, and not forgive it, until the curse finally purged. The purge would dissipate the curse, and then the man into the hellfire now scourging the planet sealing it to Earth permanently. Making a Hell on Earth Blackheart could rule over, while Satan resided in Hell.

The skeletal spirit, still searching in pools of blood and fire, had never been so desperate. Swinging his chain with one arm, and sweeping anything left with the other, he thrashed through countless lifetimes worth of sins searching. Then, abruptly, there Chester was, screaming and squirming in the burning pits with the other suffering souls. Out of his rigid body of bones, Ghost Rider let out a great exhalation of relief, and immediately grabbed the demon to set off to do the impossible.


	12. Blackheart's Curse Diffuses

As Ghost Rider ascended from Hell, Silver Surfer’s disposition was beginning to match that of Box from his grueling extended effort. He was so tired that he had to use his hand, placed in front of him, to keep himself from succumbing to complete proneness. The Power Cosmic was no longer leaving Silver Surfer. The strength he still had was striving to maintain it. His exertion was so desperate and strenuous that he was shaking, and while looking towards the ground, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Box’s eyes begin to open. 

“Box….,” an exhausted Silver Surfer weakly sputtered? 

Looking back at the flame embellished silver man through his barely squinted eyes, and not knowing what he was seeing, Box wanted to cry out for help. 

Silver Surfer’s attention had already been diverted.

Beginning to rise straight out from Chester’s grave was the flaming skeleton of Ghost Rider. Whose skull was staring right at the crawling body of Silver Surfer and grinning. Pulled by his chain, and close to joining them on Earth, was the demon spawn of Chester. All Ghost Rider had to do to bring the demon out of Hell and up to Earth, was destroy Chester’s corpse.

Ignoring the towering flames, and Silver Surfer, he began to dig madly. Surfer watched in horror, and knew the evil Spirit would only need a few moments to clear enough ground to strike and easily destroy Chester’s coffin and its morbid contents. 

“You must stop,” Silver Surfer screamed onto Ghost Rider’s deaf ears!

Box heard Silver Surfer’s words. He had turned his frail but slightly more functional frame onto his stomach, and focused on where the sounds were coming from. He saw the glistening and struggling chrome body of Norrin Radd kneeling, searching for the strength, while also pleading the Spirit of Vengeance to stop digging.

The ground around Chester’s grave had become hot from the pace Ghost Rider’s digging. The heat began to reach the coffin, and started to disintegrate its wood frame causing burning splinters and fabric to fall onto the spoiled carcass. Every particle from Chester’s corpse that burned away allowed another piece of his demon soul to leave hell.

Box, physically weak and still weary from the dreadful curse, but gaining steadily more consciousness, saw the name of Chester on the gravestone amongst his presently unreal surroundings. He bypassed how he usually would feel about seeing that name, and now felt completely different. Turning his vision back to the exhausted, surfboard dragging, slowly waking, screaming, hand waving Silver Surfer, Box thought how he wanted this amazing sparkling silver being to quickly stop whatever the burning skeleton was doing. 

“STOP,” was immediately yelled by Silver Surfer! Then he immediately expended his newfound energy by hurling his board at the manically digging evil spirit. The board flew and collided into Ghost Rider with such velocity that the impact drove the skeleton and his board deep into the surrounding flames. 

Silver Surfer, after that, hunched over as if he just ran a marathon. He looked in one direction at an evil, bleeding, dirt-smeared, half-ascended out of hell demon, and on the other an arch-backed spasming Box. He approached the latter out of great concern. 

“Box, try to be strong and not worry, this is not your fault,” a weak Silver Surfer calmly said to Box with his sparkling hand over his heart.

They stared deep into each other’s eyes, both surprised that Box was now alive and awake enough to hear what was said. Prompted by Silver Surfer’s words, Box found the strength to raise his muscleless arms to reach up and grab Surfer’s head, and pull him closer. He had to show him why and how he had awoken. But it was not really Box showing him, it was the Power Cosmic reaching out to its former master. The Power Cosmic wanted to show Norrin where it was, and what it was doing as a way to tell him not to worry. Silver Surfer replied to the Power Cosmic in thoughtful silence. 

Chester’s hell-scarred burnt skinned head, left upper body, and heart were now above ground. The dirt where the Spirit of Vengeance was digging was only warm now, leaving Chester’s corpse in stasis, which left the demon struggling for a release he could not achieve himself. Meanwhile inside Box’s body, the curse was steadily diffusing because the demon’s evil heart was above ground and pumping.

Holding Box, Silver Surfer mentally observed and sensed, like a proud brother-in-arms, every monstrous particle from the diffusing curse in Box’s body being intercepted and conquered by the Power Cosmic. Knowing his power was doing the only thing it was thoroughly conditioned to do, which was help others out of forgiveness, even if it meant never returning, impulsively made Silver Surfer give it a final gift. 

Not knowing if Box and the Power Cosmic wanted or even needed it, Silver Surfer, driven by the inspiration of forgiveness that fueled him, bit down then chewed with the vigor of a man who had to quickly eat a metal of meal to survive. He then carefully drooled the liquidity silver substance that used to be his finger into his other hand and poured it into Box.


	13. Box Comes Back to Life

“Vengeance,” an unseen Ghost Rider screamed from within the surrounding fire! And with the scream came his burning chain, which flew like a flaming metal serpent towards its target; the Silver Surfer. The hot chain links quickly reached his neck and constricted around it. Silver Surfer, with sad eyes of inevitability, took a last look at the entranced Box before being yanked towards the reemerging Ghost Rider.

The inevitably was the evil skeleton’s boots and chain beating on his hapless chrome body. As the Silver Surfer absorbed the punishment, he was still focusing the modest amount of strength he had left on containing the inferno spreading across the world. Focused and determined, Norrin Radd laid there, on his back, set to withstand the exponentially increasing pain forever.

Turning his head to look away from the continuing assault on his celestial frame, Silver Surfer took in what he considered to be his final surroundings. It was a landscape of gravestones, burnt grass, and fire. His eyes fixated upon the back of Chester’s demon. Smoldering and in obvious pain, it kept reaching for something that wasn’t there. A little ways in the distance, facing the demon, was Box who was there but not fully awake and alive.

With his own exterior scarred and cracked from the ongoing relentless onslaught, Silver Surfer still wished he could do more. His wish was desperate, genuine, and strong. As Silver Surfer's hope quickly transitioned into frustration, Box’s eye exploded open and he inhaled as if he was dying for oxygen.

Silver Surfer vainly reached out to Box with his 4-fingered hand mirroring the helplessness of the demon between them. Box, not acknowledging either outstretched hand, continued to lay there clutching his formerly broken heart. The awakening Box, subconsciously knowing the silver man had somehow saved him, and was so overwhelmed with relief and thanks that he literally forced a smile out of the dying, and buried in pain, Silver Surfer.

Finally alert, Box’s head spun in fear and amazement. His mind was internally rambling exclamations of shocked confusion. Box then looked down at his chest noticing that he was feeling his heart, but not just the beating, he was also aware of it, as if it was responsible for more than just pumping blood.

His heart was telling him that everything was going to be okay, as if it was under something else’s control; because it partly was. Silver Surfer’s appendage had reformed as part of Box’s heart, sealing the devastating break the purged curse left behind, and it independently resumed pumping life throughout his body. A body which was now on the inside, mostly made out of the Power Cosmic enraptured memories and emotions of the curse that had been used to replace and repair his ravaged organs. Fully back to life, Box finished taking in his surroundings.

“Chester,” Box murmured completely surprised? Chester’s half-submerged in the ground disgusting demon carcass was the first thing the newly awakened Box identified. Looking at it, all he felt, other than revulsion, was pity. As Box thought that, the head of his former bully’s demon simultaneously lowered while its struggle calmed, albeit the demon’s unfathomable pain still being evident.

Box looked up from Chester, and was not able to fully comprehend his surroundings, and his disgust at Chester turned into a nervous panic. The only thing he could hear was the crackling and burning of fire, and everything in sight was bathed in the orange glow of wild flames. His panic turned into hysteria as he spastically looked back and forth at Chester, and trying to find an escape from this situation. With the hysteria came wild hopelessness. With that hopelessness, Box began to remember how he felt not too long ago.


	14. the Fight Continues

Box recalled the extreme torment he had just previously suffered. But was too overwhelmed with the present state of things to make sense of it. The main thing he could vividly remember was the heat, the unbearable searing burning cast upon him. Shaking his head in disbelief, trying to put his thoughts together, he attempted to convince himself he was simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time. 

But there was an image stuck in his now Power Cosmic fueled mind. It was the memory of the big evil black eyes of Jim Guy. Looking into them, he saw out onto a hellscape. The memory did nothing to cure his anxious confusion. But that changed once he saw a skeleton, standing not too far away, covered in fire. He knew it was real, evil, and somehow behind this otherworldly chaos.

Box’s eyes bulged in sadness as he watched the skeleton pound on a hapless yet spectacular silver man. “Stop,” wasn’t thought or felt, but screamed by Box! Silver Surfer, through the thundering flames and vicious strikes, tried to acknowledge what he faintly heard from Box. Scared to act, Box just watched in shocked awe as he hoped the chrome man would not die from the beating. 

His hope, as most thoughts do, triggered an emotional response. And the feelings triggered were as intense as the situation. Box kept emotionally imploring the tattered glistening silver figure to be strong. While still struggling himself to deal with the flames everywhere, the demon laying right in front of him, and now this enrage skeleton, he naively envisioned Silver Surfer having the resolve to overcome the vicious beating he was suffering.

Suddenly Silver Surfer grimaced, flexed, and started to rise. Box couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and watched awestruck. Dumbfounded, Box did not notice when Silver Surfer turned and nodded to him in appreciation. But he did notice when the arisen Silver Surfer motioned him to find safety. Still startled but now also inspired, he kept daydreaming of the silver man’s continued resilience.

Box watched as the Silver Surfer moved with new found vigor defending himself from the enraged spirit’s attacks. Ghost Rider notices his former vengeance-source out of the corner of his eye, while whaling away at Silver Surfer with his chain covered fist. But all he does is notice, because he no longer feels a vengeful tie to him.

Box was for the moment standing, until the skull’s partial glance arrests him with irrational fear. Box’s mind immediately went blank and he collapsed. Practically at that same moment, Surfer crumbled to the ground, and Ghost Rider grew.

“I like this,” Ghost Rider says, analyzing his expanded frame. He dashes towards Chester’s burial site in one giant ground-shaking stride. Upon landing Ghost Rider smashes his enlarged fist through the ground. As the coffin shatters and the corpse splatters around his large bone fist, Ghost Rider is instantly pleased with the destruction he’s achieved. But in that same moment he is surprised to not feel the expected pleasure, and sees Chester’s demon agonizingly resigned to being stuck in the ground. With Box, too, still on the ground staring in abject horror.

Ghost Rider tensely turns away from them both in raging blank numbness. With the flaming skeleton’s back to him, Box finally exhales the frightful imagery of Ghost Rider from his mind. Meanwhile, Ghost Rider so enraptured in his own thoughts, doesn’t notice himself slowly shrinking. 

Box braced himself as he rose his upper body off the ground, and with a calmer state of mind, looked out at a calmer world. He did not rationalize the changes, but saw the flames now smoldering instead of raging. The burning skeleton who was briefly a giant, was now the size of a normal man, and the chrome figure who was fighting valiantly a moment ago seemed dead. Box pressed his palm against his forehead and shook his head not being able to make sense of any of it. But was still relishing this momentary peace allowed by the preoccupied Ghost Rider.

Box, trying to make sense of everything, begins to stand. Before he can straighten his legs or back, he stops; startled. He could not believe what he just realized. 

“I can’t stop thinking about my past life, and I still remember all of it. Yet I am not angry, resentful, or frustrated in any way,” Box whispers to himself. 

With Box’s last whispered word, Ghost Rider turned to him as if addressed. They locked eyes and stared at each other, with both gazes only asking questions.


	15. Box and the Power Cosmic

Looking down on them from an indistinguishable distance was Blackheart, the bringer of Box’s curse. The brooding demon watched his nightmarish dream of an Earth permanently covered in flames impossibly not happen. Angry, as he always is, he continued his pursuit of the only thing he pursued by heading down towards Ghost Rider. With the appearance of smoke, he glided to Ghost Rider and left him a delicate yet unignorable whisper of hate.

At that moment, Ghost Rider went from looking at Box, to seeing an object of no value that he purely hated. Box matched the skeleton’s eyeless yet penetrating stare; and knew this was it for him.

“I don’t want to die,” Box said with each word coming out as if they were tears being cried!

Completely unresponsive to Box’s request, the burning skeletal spirit took his first steps towards him as if hypnotized. Sadness and fear started to consume Box. He fell to his knees crying thinking about how not long ago he did not even want to live, but now was so scared of missing his future.

Ghost Rider, dragging his chain, continued closer. Box, buried his tear soaked face in his hands, and wept thinking about what he was most frightened of missing.

***

She was smiling at him. The calm and peaceful lake and surrounding untamed forest, beautiful as they were, could not match her. She reached out to touch him, and he yearned to tell her something but couldn’t change this daydream. All he wanted out of this stress and fear induced moment, was to tell her one final thing before his fast approaching death.

***

Box snapped out of his dream, still balling. He could not cope with or comprehend the abrupt loss of everything, including his life, and he sunk even deeper; knowing he would never see his one true love again.

Utterly hopeless, as Ghost Rider took his final steps towards him, Box closed his eyes to think his last and final thought. His thinking was desperate and genuine as he braced himself for his incoming execution.

Box pictured her in his mind, and imagined telling her he had forgiven her for everything. Upon doing that his body became warm, vibrant, and strong. It was like his honest forgiveness was a wondrous elixir of strength, and for him it really was.

Box was made out of his memories since being saved from the curse by the Power Cosmic. The motivational drive for Silver Surfer’s Power Cosmic has always been forgiveness. As a result, as Box felt forgiveness towards his one and only love as his last dying emotion, his Power Cosmic encased memories enlightened. The positive energy melted away the final essences of the curse. Leaving him a man whose insides were purely made of his memories given structure by the Power Cosmic.

Feeling amazing despite his circumstances, Box looked up at his impending doom coming down to him in the form of a flaming chain.


	16. The End is the Beginning

**16**

Not scared, he still naturally turned away and closed his eyes to avoid witnessing the chain’s destructive impact. He opened his eyes once turned, and the most beautiful and humble girl was staring right at him. He stopped breathing while his heart skipped several beats, and her reaction matched his. Box screamed her name in happiness, with the sound echoing how much he loved and wanted to be with her. As he got up to go hug her, Ghost Rider’s chain crashed into the side of his head.

Box winced in confusion from the absence of pain. He turned to Ghost Rider speechless, and stared at the skeleton as the flaming chain fiercely struck him again. Box looked at where the blow landed, because he felt something. He looked down and saw his shirt seared and torn, but his mind went right back to being enamored with the beautiful and simple brunette that had returned to him.

“Box,” he heard her scream as another blow landed! 

The sound of her voice brought him a stronger feeling than the thrashing of the heavy chain. He looked at her scared face while thinking how much he loved her, and yelled to her , “You need to find safety!”

At that moment a cocoon of diamond formed around her. Box too startled to be scared, and her, too surprised to feel trapped, didn’t question it. The beautiful cocoon protecting her immediately put Box at ease. She was speaking to him, but Box could not hear her through the sparkling clear and thick impenetrable rock. But even though he could not hear her, Box knew she could not stand the site of him getting continuously attacked. The burn marks on his body looked harsh, but Box, full of hope for his future life, had hardly felt a thing. 

With his one true love now safe, he turned to confront the intimidating yet apparently harmless-to-him flaming skeleton. In the back of his mind Box thinks of something to say to Ghost Rider, but quickly realizes this crazed screaming monster is not going to listen. The rest of his thoughts were still on living with the girl of his dreams, as the Spirit of Vengeance spew flames in his face. 

Box, noticing that the skeleton didn’t care or realize that he had no effect on him in any way, parentally shook his head at him. 

“How stupid are you,” Box thinks to himself as he blinks?

When he opens his eyes, he sees Ghost Rider’s formerly fearsome chain is now bubbly, colorful, and plastic. Confused but made confident by this sudden change, Box turns away from the delirious skeleton, and heads back towards the special girl. 

Everything is getting calmer. The smoke and fire is now mist with patches of burning kindling. Out of the corner of his eye Box sees Chester’s motionless yet suffering demon, and instinctively believed it did not belong on Earth. Something or someone seemed to agree with him because the thought in his head, which was a hole in the ground, opened around Chester and he disappeared into it. Not far away was Ghost Rider, who had just started chasing after him again. He looked back at the skeletal maniac as it too was pulled into the same black and red swirling hole in the ground that Chester fell into. Box did not think of, or cared where the whole went, and it closed.

Struggling to comprehend everything, he shared a reassuring glance with the girl he knew indirectly caused all of this. They both know that was true because he loved her so much. But she also knew, by the look on his face, all had been forgiven. 

“You’re safe now,” Box calmly said from a distance. 

The diamond cocoon then magically pixelated away into non-existence. The pair hustled to embrace each other, held each other, then kissed. 

“I have thought about you everyday,” Box said to her before kissing her again. 

She looked at him with her disarming inner beauty. He loved her so much, and she could feel it just standing there. “There is something about you now, I don’t know what it is, but I am so lucky,” she shyly forced out then intimately kissed him again.

Separating lips Box tells her, “I have to try to help that silver man on the ground over there,” and she nods approvingly.

Box rushes through the hazy graveyard to the Silver Surfer, and kneels down beside him. He then searches for a pulse, and Silver Surfer’s luminous eyes open. 

“I am still alive,” Silver Surfer says in a soft yet kingly tone.

“Thank you for protecting and saving me,” Box says to him, all the while not knowing what the Power Cosmic is or that it even exists. 

“All I do, the Universe over, is use my power to save who and what I can out of forgiveness for my past wrongs,” Silver Surfer informs him. “I am the Silver Surfer.” 

Box’s head tilted back in awe not knowing the name, but still recognizing its importance. 

“What makes me what I am, is now a part of you, and that is how you were saved,” the Silver Surfer exhaustively explains. He continues, “If you really vividly feel something and focus on it, it will happen. You are made out of your emotions with the Power Cosmic holding it all together.” 

Upon saying that, Box instantly realized why he suffered no pain or injury earlier, because he felt so focused on a future life with his special girl. The focus on the future made getting hurt now impossible. Same with the cocoon which formed to protect what he cherished most. 

“You are an amazing and brave man Silver Surfer. Time for you to rise,” Box thought and said. 

Bluish, silvery overcast of clouds as far as the eye could see slowly retracted into the chrome man, and he rose to his feet. Silver Surfer then reached out to call for his far away surfboard that was buried in ashes, and it swiftly returned. He lifted off the ground and put his still sparkling longboard underneath him.

Silver Surfer looked down and said to Box, “at the start of the day you were a man full of rage. The gift of myself,” Silver Surfer says while looking at his severed finger, “and the Power Cosmic has helped you overcome that rage and has given you amazing abilities.” 

“What rage,” Box replies? “I could not be more optimistic,” he convincingly assures Silver Surfer. 

The Silver Surfer smiles and turns to fly away. Then stops and tells him before leaving, “I forgot to mention, saving you, saved the world.”

  
  
  
  


**The End**


End file.
